The present invention relates to a structure for pressing a cassette in a magnetic record and playback machine, and more particularly to a structure for pressing a cassette in a magnetic record and playback machine, wherein both ends of an elastic supporting member surrounding an upper side and both lateral sides of a cassette holder are pressed by a driving arm, and which enables the cassette holder and the cassette to be maintained in a stable state.
Generally, in a magnetic record and playback machine having a front loading system, when a cassette is inserted into a cassette insertion aperture mounted at the front of a deck, a driving motor is engaged which removes the cassette holder in which the cassette is fixed to a loading position. The driving force is then transferred to a driving arm mounted on both of the lateral sides of the cassette holder after passing through a power transmission system containing a plurality of gear trains. Therefore, as the driving arm rotates, the cassette holder is moved to the loading position.
FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a conventional structure for pressing a cassette; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the conventional pressing state for a cassette; and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the conventional pressing state of a cassette.
As shown in the figures, the conventional structure for pressing a cassette comprises a cassette 1 which is inserted into a cassette holder 2 and can be reciprocated between a loading position and an ejecting position. A driving arm 3 is operatively connected to the cassette holder 2.
The cassette holder 2 comprises plate springs 2a which press against the upper side of the cassette 1. The plate springs are mounted on both sides of the upper side of the cassette holder, and guide posts 2b extend from both of the lateral sides thereof.
The driving arm 3 includes a pair of arms 3b having slots 3a, and a central rod 3c which links the arms 3b together. The guide posts 2b can be inserted into the slots 3a, and thus the cassette holder 2 can be moved by the driving arm 3 which rotates around the guide posts disposed within the slots 3a.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the conventional structure for pressing a cassette, the driving arm 3 rotates clockwise corresponding to the ejecting state. Hence, as the arrows show in FIG. 2, as the guide posts 2b of the cassette holder 2 are inserted into the concave slots 3a, a pressing force is applied in the downward direction by the driving arm 3.
Thus, the whole cassette holder 2 moves downward along with the cassette 1, and this movement stops when the bottom of the cassette 1 contacts the upper end of the cassette supporting member 4 formed on the base plate. However, the cassette holder 2 moves downward until the upper side of the cassette 1 contacts the upper side of the cassette holder 2 by a force applied by the driving arm 3.
As previously mentioned, in the state in which the upper side of the cassette 1 contacts with the upper side of the cassette holder 2, because the driving arm 3 maintains a downward force on the cassette holder 2, the cassette 1 is always maintained in a pressed state. In addition, while it is not shown in the figures, generally a spring is mounted on the driving arm 3 and one end of the spring is elastically connected with the guide post 2b of the cassette holder 2. Accordingly, when the cassette 1 is in a loading position, a force which presses downwardly due to the spring us applied to the cassette holder 2.
However, in the conventional structure for pressing a cassette in a magnetic record and playback machine, both of the lateral sides of the upper side of the cassette holder 2 press the lateral sides of the upper side of the cassette 1, and a force from the driving arm 3 is always applied to the guide post 2b. Therefore, as the dotted line shows in FIG. 2, both lateral sides of the upper side of the cassette holder 2 is modified by widening outward, and according to this, the cassette 1 is fixed in the cassette holder 2 is shoved upward and the state of pressing the cassette 1 becomes unstable.
That is, in the conventional structure for pressing a cassette, when the cassette 1 has been standing in a loading state for a long time, the cassette holder 2 is somewhat modified and the inserting and ejecting of the cassette 1 cannot be accomplished smoothly or performed at all.